A COURANTE OF NEWS FROM THE EAST INDIA.  
A true Relation of the taking of the Lands of Lantore and Polaroone in the parts of Banda in the East Indies by the Hollanders, which Lands had yielded themselves subject unto the King of England. Written to the East India Company in England from their Factors there.  
ABout the Month of December 1620. the Dutch General having prepared a force of 16. ships, declared to our Precedent, that he intended an exploit for the good of both Companies, without mentioning any particulars of his designs.  
And seeing us to have no such forces ready to join with him, he said he would attempt it alone. And the third of january. 1620. he did set sale from jaquatra with his said forces, and arrived at Banda about the third of February following.  
Presently upon his arrival he made great preparation against the Island of Lantore, which Island was formerly by the inhabitants thereof delivered over unto our people for the use, and under the subjection of the King's Majesty of England, whereof our Captain of the I'll of Polaroone had taken possession and had also settled a factory there.  
When our chief Factor in our said Isle of Polaroone heard of the purpose of the Dutch General against the said I'll of Lantore, he wrote a letter unto the said General, advising him that the said I'll of Lantore did belong unto the King of England, and that therefore he should not attempt any violence against it, seeing there is an accord made in England between us. Which letter, the said General threw from him in a great rage scarce vouchsafeing to read it over, and caused the Messenger to be thrust out of doors, requiring him to advice our Factor of Polaroone presently to send to Lantore; and fetch away all such of our people and goods as were upon that Island; for whomsoever he should find there: he would take them as his utter enemies, and they should far no better than the inhabitants.  
And within ten or twelve days after he landed all his forces there, & subdued the said Island. So long as the fight endured, our Factors and servants there (being three English and eight Chineces) kept themselves within doors, and afterwards our people came out of their houses, and told them, the house wherein they were, was the English house, and that therefore they should not meddle therewith.  
Nevertheless they sacked our house, took away all our goods, murdered three of our Chines servants, bound the rest (as well English as Chinesses) hand & foot, & threatened them to cut their throats binding them three several times to several stakes with their weapons ready drawn out, and did put a halter upon our principal Factor's neck, drawing up his head, and stretching out his neck, ready to put them to death, yet did not execute them, but as they were bound hand and foot (as aforesaid) tumbled them down over the rocks like dogs, and like to have broken their necks, and thus bound, carried them aboard their ships, and there kept them prisoners in Irons 14. or 16. days.  
After the conquest of the Island of Lantore the Dutch General threatened to do the like unto Polaroone wherefore our principal Factor of Polaroone being there but newly arrived, went unto the Dutch General unto the castle of Nera, and told him that he heard that he purposed to take Polaroone by force, which he could not believe, although his own messenger sent to Polaroone to speak with our Factors, had given it out also, that the General himself should say, that if the English did not come presently unto him & yield the said fort of Polaroone unto him, he would send his forces, and overrun all the country, but hoped he would enterprise no such thing against that place, considering the Articles of agreement, and knowing how many years (to the great loss and charge of the company) we held possession and maintained the place to the use of his Majesty of England.  
The said General made little answer to it, as though there were no such matter intended, whereupon our said Factot took his leave & came away.  
But the next day he was followed to Polaroone with and Armada of 26. Prowess & one ship, which did put the inhabitants of Polaroone in such a fear, as they knew not what to do; whereupon our chief Factor there asked the commander of those forces, what his purpose was with such a fleet there, and that if he attempted any thing against Polaroone, it was a breach of the Articles it being in our possession. This could not prevail with him, but said the land was theirs, and they would have it by fair means or force, and as for our profession, they would not acknowledge it (the inhabitants and not we being masters of the place) and so the Dutch Commander went a shore unto the inhabitants.  
Whereupon the said inhabitants asked us if we could and would defend them, but perceiving we were not able to defend ourselves, much less to secure them: they were forced to yield themselves and the Island into his hands.  
The Dutch took down the English colours, and set up their own, and caused the inhabitants presently to bring in all their weapons, and to throw down all their walls, and would have forced them to have taken all our Ordnance out of our Fort, which they at the first refused to do, alleding that they had formerly given and surrendered the land to the King of England, and in respect they had lived so long with the English, they would not now offer us any injury or violence.  
And when our chief Factor went a shore to expostulate the matter with the Dutch Commander, he could obtain nothing at his hands, but that the land was theirs, and things must be so, and should be so.  
Whereupon our said Factor went again unto the Dutch General to the castle of Nera to confer with him thereabouts, but he would give no other answer, but that he had referred those businesses to his said Lieutenant sent thither, with whom he might confer: who in the absence of our said chief Factor, had brought some of his soldiers a shore upon Polaroone, and forced the Islanders to throw all our Ordnance over the rock from the place where they were planted (being nine pieces) whereof four broke with the fall, and were all carried away by the Dutch.  
Moreover our Captain of Polaroone who had defended the Island four years together going to Lantore (at the request of the inhabitants) to receive the surrendry thereof for our King's Majesty's use (as aforesaid) and returning back again about the beginning of November 1620. was slain by the Dutch. And it is very probable, they did it after the time they had intelligence of the publication of the accord at Bantam in March 1619. For presently upon the said publication, they sent secretly to the Lands in those parts, where they had trade, to prevent us of our part of the spices due unto us by the accord.  
After the said Dutch General had subdued the fore mentioned Island of Lantore, he constrained them to deliver unto him, the principal of all their children for hostages: Then he took away from them all their small vessels and boats, and then he also required all the men of Lantore to be brought unto him, and they brought him all the prncipall men, but this did not satisfy him, but he would have all the Bandinesses, which had aided them, as also all their wives and children, small and great to ●e brought as prisoners aboard his ships.  
Which when the Bandinesses perceived doubting ●hat he meant to make them all slaves and to carry them to some other places) they agreed together to retire themselves into the highest and strongest places of the land, and there did fortify themselves, whereupon the Dutch slew of them and took 1200 persons prisoners, most of them being women and children, which they havesince carried to jaquatra and other places.   

Printed according to the original copy the eighth Febr. 1622. Stilo Novo.